Texas Rangers Blog

As Rule V draft approaches, Rangers more likely to lose a player than gain one

The last act of official business at MLB’s winter meetings is the Rule V draft. Clubs can select players with at least four years of professional experience who are not protected on a 40-man roster for $50,000.

The Rangers have not selected a player in this draft since right-hander Chris Mabeus, taken from Oakland in 2003. He was returned to the Athletics for $25,000. As an expected contender, the Rangers are unlikely to make a selection because the player must be carried on the major league roster all season.

“With as hard as it is to get talent, you have to be open-minded in every way,” GM Jon Daniels said.

The Rangers are more likely to lose a player for the first time since 2007, when Baltimore added right-hander Alfredo Simon. The list of eligible Rangers includes first baseman Chris McGuiness, most valuable player in the Arizona Fall League; right-hander Wilfredo Boscan, leading the Venezuelan winter league in ERA and right-hander Johan Yan, who has 23 strikeouts in 13 innings in the Dominican Republic winter league.

Briefly: Philadelphia has stepped up its attempt to sign free-agent reliever Koji Uehara. The Rangers are willing to bring back Uehara on a one-year contract, and Baltimore has also been in talks with him. … Outfielder Engel Beltre will be with an All-Star team from the Dominican Republic that will play the Venezuelan winter league All-Stars on Tuesday in Caracas, Venezuela. Beltre, 23, began Wednesday’s play hitting .272 with a .792 OPS in 109 plate appearances. … Don Welke, senior special assistant to Daniels, received the Midwest scout of the year award from the SCOUTS organization at its annual banquet